Or I guess we should say did. I have never thought of this topic before but my interest is engaged. Civil War Memory has a interesting post at My You Have a Pretty Toe
I am only pleased to hear from Mother that you are such a good boy and Edwin, too. Fine lads both of you, and I shall certainly bring you home something good for sore eyes in the shape of a bomb shell, Yankee toe, a Stone Bridge, or Bull Run Walking Cane. I cut one out the other day, a soldier on the end of it, and I believe I will send it to Mr. Cooks.
Now the comments are interesting and there is some discussion if the above was symbolic or he was speaking in an idiom
But also from the comments we can see their appears to be a long tradition of this. We have all heard the more recent stories from the WWII, Korea , and Vietnam era. Many soldiers are repulsed by this but others seem to understand. Of course as a Christian I am not endorsing this.
Still is there some sort of psychological need being met here?
I've never heard of that, but I have heard of Catholics taking body parts of Saints and drying them to wear around their necks as a safeguard against evil. If I recall, there were many Saints whose bodies were cut up and given away. Personally, I find that to be very disrespectful of the dead....especially a Saint!
ReplyDeleteI agree and again I am not endorsing taking body parts of the dead.. Still it seems a wierd custon among some that can't just be noted as some vengance. I have never thought about it till now
ReplyDeleteSadly, I believe it is a desire to obtain some sort of 'trophy' for the kill. A very primal leftover from the dawn of civilization that we have been overcoming ever since. Most people assume that collecting ears was a Vietnam War thing only, they just don't know the context of the problem! In every major conflict the US has been involved in, there have been part collectors... And its always been punishable under the UCMJ!
ReplyDeleteThaks Sundsy for the comment
ReplyDelete